New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-21
THE NEW ISSUE.

When n Labor party nominated Henry
George for Mayor of Newly Orl there began at
once a studied effort TO belittlc and rdicule
tho movement the man and his doctrines.
But 1t Is an old story that honest belief Is
never successfully combatcd by rdicule or by
predictions of failure Precisely the same
tactics are adopted already by many OF those
who opposed the teachings of Mr. George and
the aims of the workingmcn represented III
tho Syracuse Convention. If that course Is
persisted in, if the mistaken teachings of tho
new party are met with dcriSi0n and needless
instrumentation instead OF sober reasoning,
the result in the State may prove not less sur
prising than the vote which was cast for
Mayor in this city. A single phrase in Mr..
Georges speech Of acceptance may proltably
be pondcred -" 1t is 4 movement which arouscS
all the religious enthusiasm OF which ! am
CAPABLE. The men who hold 1T their most
sacred duty on earth TO strive TO better the
condition of their fcllOw-mcn, and who pro-
foundly believe that they have discovered the
right way TO do it, are never TO be desplscd.
Next after Mr.. George came the orator whose
burning enthusiasm for the cause OF the poor
mainly led to his expulsion from priesthood,
and he points to Henry George and says.
He is a man raised up by the singular provid nee
Of Cod help those who are suffering and starving
ana dying. The magnificent truth, the mag
niHce mt humanity and justice in the great principles
of which he exponent and the platform of which
he Is the author, madD 1t possible for our committee
to evangelze tho state Of Now-York and organize
labor every whcre-and also made possible this con-
yenton that Is surely q wonder " the millions OF
people all over the country who arc 50 anXousY
watching Its deliberations.
The men who think thus and speak thus
are not to be despised, however widely they
are in error Wherever there is political
party that does not profoundly believe i'll any
| thing, and is not desperately In earnest about
| anything except the effort TO get office, that
| party is dead at the roots and ready for defeat
Mr.. George is plainly a sincere believer in
the efficacy Of the remedy which he advocates.
and has convinced many Others that more
suffering and more injustice can be swept
| away by its adoption than by any other meas
ure whatever. 1t is going TO be necessary 10
meet this question fairly and frankly, as
| The TRIBUNE from the first insisted that II
must when Mr.. George was nominated for
Mayor Errors of detail in a platform count
| for little, even though they are grave, when
| living issue is presented which appeals to
| the religious enthusiasm" well as the
strongest aspirations Of great numbers Of
voters. 1t was wise in Mr.. George to leave
out Of his platform the free trade theory which
he has personally advocated, and wise to sep
arate the declaration of principles vital to the
new party from the miscellaneous resolutions
which voters can accept or reject as they
please. The people are thus brought to a
direct issue on the question whether the well
fare Of workingmcn and Of civilized society
can be promoted by the taxation of land
values exclusive of improvements by "plac-
ing under public control such agencies as are
in their nature monopolies,' and by ''simpli-
flying the procedure Of our courts and dimln-
ishing the expense of legal proceedings, that
the poor may be placed on an equality with the
rich, and the long delays which now result in
scandalous miscarriages Of justice may be pre-
vented THE TRIBUNE's views on these and
other points are well known, but political
contest in which vital principles arc involved,